Emma Raducanu, Great Britain’s new teenage star, has changed coaches following her spectacular run to Wimbledon’s fourth round.
The seasoned Nigel Sears, who also happens to be Andy Murray’s father-in-law, is replaced by Andrew Richardson, who was picked because of his knowledge with Raducanu and her game, rather than his professional tour experience.
Richardson, who was previously the head coach at the Bromley Tennis Centre in south-east London, helped Raducanu learn the fundamentals of the sport when she was younger. When he flies to the United States with her this weekend for the first leg of her preparation for next month’s US Open, he is more likely than anybody else to help her feel at ease in this unfamiliar surroundings.
Raducanu is already unusually sophisticated for an 18-year-old in the manner she conducts her own study on opponents, as well as often questioning various trustworthy connections about how she can better. She is not the type of person who shows up to a training session and waits for instructions. Rather, she is more likely to create her own goals, which is why a familiar face among her support personnel may be just what she requires at this early time.
Raducanu has received a wild card to the Silicon Valley Classic in San Jose, which begins on August 2nd, following her dramatic exit from Wimbledon, where she retired from her fourth-round match against Alja Tomljanovic due to breathing troubles. As the world No. 185, she is now well-positioned to compete in qualifying for the US Open later this month.
Raducanu has since attended the European Football Championships and the British Grand Prix, demonstrating her rapid rise to the ranks of British sporting celebrities. Her Instagram and Twitter profiles have more than half a million followers.
Meanwhile, Jack Draper, the other British teenager who made such an impression at Wimbledon, is suffering with injury frustration after twisting his ankle during training at the National Tennis Centre. Draper fought world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the opening round and was one of only two guys to take a set off the eventual champion, the other being finalist Matteo Berrettini.
Draper, 19, was also scheduled to travel to the United States to compete in hard-court competitions, but his trip is now expected to be postponed.
